Suit-case lock.



No. 836,536. PATENTED, NOV. 20; 1906;

J. ROCHE.

SUIT CASE LOGK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1906.

2&1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ROCHE, OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO EAGLE LOCK CO., OFTERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

SUIT-CASE LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906,

Application filed February 12, 1906. Serial No. 300.631.

ville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Suit-Case Locks; and I dohereby declare the following, when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in IFigure 1 a view in front elevation of a hasp-lock provided with myimproved pushbutton; Fig. 2, a view thereof in vertical central sectionon the line a b of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detached view, in inside elevation,of the bolt-mechanism; Fig. 4, a view thereof in inside elevation withall of the parts removed from the case with the exception of the bolt;

Fi 5, a view in vertical section on the line c d of Fi 4; Fig. 6, adetached view in elevation of t e bolt; Fig. 7, a plan view thereof;

Fig. 8, a detached view of the push-button spring.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of hasp-lockscommonly known as suit-case locks on account of their use on hand-bagsof that form, the object being to produce a lock constructed withparticular reference to ease in releasing the hasp after the key hasbeen turned to unlock the lock. With these ends in view my inventionconsists in a push-button for releasing the bolt of a suit-case lock andin certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will behereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

My improvement may be applied to hasplocks constructed in a variety ofways and is not limited to use in conjunction with a hasp-lock of theparticular construction de scribed.

As herein shown, I employ a push-button 2, having an annularretaining-shoulder 3, a cone-shaped operating-bevel 4, and acentering-stem 5, which is located at the apex of the said bevel. Thisbutton is placed within a suitable boss 6, having a circular centralopening 7 and struck outwardly from the center of a lock-plate 8, havinga lock-case 9 secured to its back by means of rivets 10 and perforatedat its corners I for the reception of rivets 11, bymeans of which it isfastened to the body 12 of the suit-case. The push-button moves back andforth in the said opening 7 of the boss 6, in which it is retained byits shoulder 3. The

boss 6 is located midway between the keyhole 13 and a stud-hole 14, thelatter being formed in the lock-plate 8 for the reception of a slottedhasp-stud 15, carried by a hasp 16, operated by a spring 17 andpivotally mounted in a hasp-plate 18, fastened by rivets 19 to the cover20 of the suit-case. The bevel 4 of the push-button 2 coacts with thelower edge of an opening 21 ,formed in a box-like sheet-metal bolt 21,which has its sides turned inward at a right angle to form guide-flanges22 and 23, which bear against the sides of the case 9 and guide the boltas it reciprocates up and down in the said case,

of the rivets 10, which secure it to the back of the lock-plate 8. Theupper end of the bolt 21 is cut away to form a locking edge 25, whichenters the slot 26 in the hasp-stud 15, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby thehasp is locked in place. The lower end of the said bolt is formed with afinger 27, receiving a helical spring 28, the lower end of which is setover a pin 29 in the bottom of the case 9, the said spring exerting aconstant effort to lift the bolt and keep its edge 25 entered into theslot 26 in the stud 15. The bolt is locked in this position by means ofa tumbler 30, located in the bottom of the case 8, swinging on a pin 31and struck inward to form a projection 32, which is snapped from oneside to the other over a corresponding projection struck out of thebottom of the case 9. The lower edge of the said tumbler is cut away toform a notch 34 for the reception of a key applied to thepost 35.

c When the tumbler is thrown from right t left, its arm 36 is movedunder the lower edge 37 of the left-hand flange 22 of the bolt, which isthen positively prevented from being moved downward and releasing thehaspstud, and hence the hasp. When the tumbler is swung from left toright into its unlocked position, as shown in Fig. 4, the bolt is leftfree to be moved downward for releasing the hasp. If the push-button 2is pressed directly inward when the tumbler is in its unlocked position,as described, its coneshaped bevel 4 will coact with the lower edgewhich is formed with ears 24 for the reception of the opening. in thebolt and force the bolt down into its open position, whereby its lockingedge will be withdrawn from the slot 26 in the stud 15. The hasp-spring17 will now assert itself to throw the hasp 16 into its open position inwhich the stud 15 is entirely disengaged from the lock-plate 8,permitting the suit-case to be opened. Normally the button is maintainedin an outwardly-projecting position by means of a flat spring 88, havinga central perforation 39 to receive the stem 5 of the button. Thisspring is diagonally arranged under the bolt 20, and its ends areentered into slots 40 and 41, located at diagonally opposite corners ofthe case 9.

The push button above described performs the same function and presentsmuch the same appearance as the ordinary sliding operating-button nowemployed in suit-case looks; but it is much more convenient and easy tooperate, especially with a gloved hand, as it is operated by pressureexerted directly inward at a right angle to the lockplate 8 instead ofparallel therewith.

I claim 1. In a hasp-lock, the combination with a lock-plate and a hasp,of a lock-case fastened to the back of the said plate, a bolt located inthe said case and engaging with the hasp, a push-button mounted in thesaid plate at a right angle thereto and coacting with the bolt fordisengaging the same from the hasp, and a spring mounted in the saidcase and located within the said bolt and coactin with the saidpush-button.

2. In a suit-case lock, the combination with a lock-plate formed with anoutwardlyprojecting boss, of'a lock-case fastened to the back of thesaid plate, a hasp, a bolt located within the said lock-case forengaging with the hasp, a push-button located within the said boss andmovable at a right angle to the said plate and coacting directly withthe bolt to disengage the same from the hasp, and a spring coacting withthe push-button for holding the same in its inoperative position.

3. In a hasp-lock, the combination with a lock-plate and a hasp, of alock-case fastened to the back of the said plate, a sheet-metal boltlocated within the said case and formed with side flanges and an openinga push-button mounted in the plate for operation at a right anglethereto and entering the opening in the bolt which it moves fordisengaging the same from the hasp, and a spring located within the boltand engaging with the pushbutton for holding the same in its inoperativeposition.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ROCHE.

Witnesses:

R. J. PLUMB, OTIS B. HOUGH.

